1st Phase Of Rt. 3, 46 Interchange Project Almost Complete

WOODLAND PARK, NJ - The first half of a $200 million project to improve safety and reduce bottlenecks around the interchange of Route 3, Route 46, Valley Road and Great Notch and Rifle Camp roads is almost complete, according to state transportation officials.

The federally funded project, which began in January 2016, has included:

• Construction of a new two-way service road (Great Notch Road)
• Adding three signalized intersections
• Building two single-lane roundabouts parallel to Route 46 westbound to remove local traffic from the state highway

At 4 p.m. Friday, the stretch of Great Notch Road between the westbound Route 46 ramp and the new Rifle Camp Road/Lackawanna Avenue roundabout will reopen to traffic, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced.

Reservoir Road will reopen as well and Lackawanna Avenue will open to two-way traffic between the roundabout and Lower Notch Road, the DOT said. The first phase cost $40.8 million and was funded through the federal government, the state said.

Within the next two weeks, the bridge over Route 46 from Rifle Camp Road to the new Clove Road roundabout will open after a new traffic signal is installed on Great Notch Road, the DOT said.

The next leg of work is scheduled to begin in Spring 2020 and includes roadway widening on Route 46, reconstructing and reconfiguring ramps near the interchange, bridge replacement and repair, construction of noise barriers, drainage improvements and utility work. According to the DOT, that phase should be finished by 2024.

Message signs are being used throughout the area to give advance notice of traffic pattern changes during construction, as well as upcoming road or ramp closures.

Drivers are encouraged to check 511nj.org or follow the agency on Twitter (@NJDOT_info) or on the NJDOT Facebook page.